Heroes of Blackfish

Erich's Recap

We begin the adventure in the crypt where we had sprung the weakness trap.

Kovalt searched the crypt during our recuperation and found a strange set of writing in the lid of the sarcophagus. We didn’t recognize the characters. Hondo decided to transcribe the characters in case they turned out to be important later. One of the things he noticed was that the symbol for our tribe was amongst the characters.

We decide to leave the crypt and indeed find the armory has been stripped clean and lit with torches. In the light we do notice that there is a mural around the base of the dragon statue that we couldn’t see in dark vision. It depicts many warring factions all well-equipped and all seemingly doing the bidding of various dragons.

We leave the armory and go back through the kitchen where we find what appear to be the remains of a battle. No bodies are present but blood and damage makes it clear there was a struggle here recently. We continue to explore and find a huge chamber with a giant statue of a dragon. We infer from the state of the torches that there have been others here as recently as a few hours. As we explore and go deeper we finally hear the sounds of battle, it becomes clear to us that one faction has taken out another and is just mopping up. The purple invaders were able to find the armory cache just in time to turn the course of the invasion. The invaders are Clan Dreadnaught – we fought their leader in an earlier game session, we are currently in the realm of the Skull Kickers.

This last room has about 10 kobolds killing off the losers of a last battle. The cave is roughhewn but the exit from it is smooth stone and that doorway has been fortified. Kovalt steps forward and helps with the coup-de-grace and meets the Skull Kickers and a parlay ensues. (Note: we see commander Pixum among the dead – one that Kovalt had fought earlier). More Skull Kickers show up, we notice that they are the ones equipped with the goods from the armory.

The Skull Kickers question how we got into this area and they ask who invited us inside, when we don’t give an answer they like, they kick us out and we leave into what looks like a common area. It is a huge bazaar like area where many clans have come together, there is feasting and celebration going on. Oddly, we notice that there is a lot of garbage being traded, literally garbage from what we see. It seems odd.

This is also where we meet Zek (Alexander), he has been travelling alone. While we are talking to Zek one of the tribe has been asking for a guide to the top of the mountain. Finally, in frustration after not finding what he needs Kovalt shouts across the market looking for a guide. The response is that the entire market shuts down and everyone starts to back away from the chosen ones. Zek and Grek sneak away from the group so as not to be associated with them, this looks like it could become dangerous. There are random cries that the Skrags are coming, Zek and Grek decide blood is thicker than water. At least for now.

The Skrag show up and go all stabby on Kovalt and his eidelon leading quickly to Kovalt running for it. At this point the crowd has pretty much faded away leaving only the members of the blackfish tribe in the area, Zek and Grek specificially. Kovalt runs back to the rest of the blackfish and all kobolds pitch in to kick the ass of these Skrags. It comes down to us chasing down the last two runners before they got away and sent word back of the defeat.

We talk about our next steps after killing the running Skrags and realize that the dead guy Pixum was the one that had the last amulet that we need to complement the 2 we already have. It must now be in the possession of the Skull Kickers who had been looting all the Clan Dreadnaught corpses.

We find a place to camp because Kovalt is so badly hurt and we do not have blessed miracles from the gods. Camp is a set of ledges that allow us to hide on two different levels when in the middle of the night our sleep is rudely interrupted by a living pile of garbage that tries to eat us while we are trying to rest. The creature is made of the garbage covering the cavern floor in this area, perhaps this has something to do with the market stall activities. Anyways, the important part is the one where it tries to sneak up on us but Hondo sees it in time and shouts an alarm saving the day.

In the process of defeating the garbage monster we almost lose Grek and Hondo in the process and we eventually succeed without taking any casualties. Afterwards we destroy much of the garbage monster corpse by dropping it in the lava pits where it smolders and turns to ash. Although we didn’t lose anyone in the battle with it due to injuries we stay two additional days to recover. It turns out to be a good place to forage and make a great meal of the vegetable material here. Afterwards we decide to finally go see the Skull Kickers and show them, as Zek likes to say the mushroom and the stick.

The Chosen ones approach the gate to Skull Kicker cavern and make a dramtic entrance by using a display of magic power. The fireball that rolls across the floor causes the applicants at the gate to part aside so The Chosen can approach. We proclaim ourselves of Clan Blackfish tribe and proceed to demand to see their leader. When he is brought before us he shows us the mural in the armory where they are now camped out. Grek then shows him the secret door and symbol of blackfish tribe and makes great point of how powerful we are. He is suitably impressed, as he should be. When we ask him about the amulet he says he has it and offers a deal, if we make them members of blackfish tribe they give us the amulet. The Chosen would be happy to acquire a new set of servants so we agree and get amulet but find it is a cheap fake. We decide to keep the new tribe members anyhow. They did tell us graves of the blackfish are two floors up, they have seen it and this would make a good base for going to explore it. We decide to go to the graves but before doing so want to pay a cleric to translate the ruins in the crypt. Best deal we can find is to have wizard of Clan Death teach Nehall the spell he needs to read the runes. A trade is made and we pay the 45 gp fee by giving him a <insert> and get <insert>.